Love is for Children
by MastaGamerita
Summary: Modern AU: How the characters of the Lunar Chronicles met, became friends, and eventually pushed the boundaries of their relationship to become something more-all taking place throughout their childhood and teenage years. Note: Separate storyline for each couple. Rated T because I'm paranoid.
1. Chapter 1: Kaider

The boy glared at himself in the mirror. He was dressed in a lined white shirt covered with a velvet crimson jacket, coupled with black dress pants. A shiny new pair of shoes covered his feet, and a simple black bow tie hung around his neck, restricting his oxygen intake to mere shallow breaths, and causing an unsettling itch to blossom over the surrounding area. It was an ensemble that allowed little room for neither movement nor playtime, his disliking of which he expressed to his mother.

"Mother, why do I have to wear this?" He asked for the umpteenth time.

His mother gave another patient sigh before turning to her son, a gentle smile crossing her lips. "Kai, sweetie, your father has a very important banquet tonight, and we must look our best."

Kai pouted. "Can't I just wear jeans and a t-shirt?"

"No, sweetie. That wouldn't be appropriate. Besides, you don't want to make your father look bad, do you?" She returned to applying her make up, and Kai knew that was that. He wandered out of his mother's room, aimlessly roaming the hallways until he found himself outside his father's room.

"-think she'll try for an alliance again?" He heard his father's deep voice rumble.

There was a pause. "I think that will be difficult, considering that you are already married." The gentler, more calm voice of his father's adviser floated through the hallway. Kai was always uneasy about Konn Torin; the man had always seemed inexplicably controlled, something that had given the child a bad vibe.

"Yes, but what about Kai?" He perked up at the mention of his name.

"What about him?"

"Channary has a daughter of her own-Selene, I believe. She may try to marry the two of them off." _Marriage?_ Kai leaned forward.

"With all due respect, sir, I consider that unlikely at the time. This banquet is the first breakthrough in terms of the relationship between Luna and Eastern Commonwealth Industries in decades. To suggest such an alliance now would be unwise, as in case of a negative response, it would ruin any hopes of a partnership. Furthermore, should she wish to have private negotiations, there would be too many prying eyes present for her to discuss any true possibilities."

Kai didn't really understand Torin's logic, but the agreement was clear both in his father's words and tone when he responded. "Yes, of course. Thank you, Torin."

Kai pushed himself off of the doorway and walked back down the hallway, lest he be scolded for eavesdropping. His father's comment about marriage stuck with him, however. From what his parents told him, marriage was when two people got together because they loved each other. He had never met this Selene girl, much less loved her. In fact, Kai was almost certain that he was too young to get married.

So why would they get married?

•••

Kai wasn't sure what he was expecting when he stepped into the pristine white mansion known as the Luna Estate, but it certainly wasn't this.

The gleaming walls of the manor, combined with its astounding architectutual design, had left the innocent four-year-old in absolute awe. He'd never seen anything like it, not even his father's own vast mansion which attracted more than a few onlookers with its traditional Chinese elements. His parents had to drag him forward, though he noticed that even they were a little surprised. His amazement melted into fear, however, when he was presented with the sight that stood in front of them now.

Five people stood in a line in the middle of the huge room, all of whom were decked in the same uncomfortable clothing he wore now-albeit much finer and over the top. The first person was a woman dressed in a strapless dark red dress that flared out at her waist and ended just above her knees. She seemed to be about the same age as his mother, and she had a smile on her face that was simultaneously sweet and murderous. The woman beside her wore an emerald green floor-length dress, with a slit on her right side that showcased her slender leg. Although she was extradordinarily beautiful, her features combined made her very severe-looking. He avoided eye contact with her. Third in line was a man with deep ebony skin, who, with his simple tuxedo, was less fancily dressed than the others. The little girl next to him looked similar to him, which made Kai think that they were related. She, too, was very beautiful, however her beauty seemed more natural than the woman's. She was dressed in a lacy white dress that contrasted with her dark skin. The last person in line was another little girl who appeared to be even younger than he was, with her short chestnut-colored hair and her huge brown eyes. She was dressed in a royal blue sleeveless dress, with small flowers embroided on the top.

Kai hesistated, contemplating whether or not he wanted to approach the people, but his mother tugged him onward, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. Still, he still felt apprehensive once he stood face to face with the human blockade.

"Rikan, Liling, how fortunate that you were able to join us." The woman with the odd smile said, dropping into a respectable curtsy. The action caused the rest of the line to follow suit, except for the man, who lowered himself into a bow instead.

They dipped into similar positions, Kai having been to enough business gatherings to take the hint from his parents. However, there was a noticable tension in his father's voice when he responded. "We wouldn't dare miss such an extravagant event, Ms. Blackburn."

"Please, call me Channary."' The woman grabbed his father's arm and led them over to a large table where several people were already seated. She gestured to an array of empty chairs near the head of the table. "Sit down. Dinner should be served shortly."

The family did so, and Kai found that he was sitting across from the little girl at the end of the line. Figuring that she was old enough to understand basic conversation, he attempted to speak to her.

"Hello," He said.

The girl looked up, her uncannily large eyes suddenly focused on him. Cocking her head, her gaze roamed over his body, as if she were a scientist inspecting a specimen, trying to determine more information about it. The look made him feel invaded, and he fought the urge to squirm.

"Hi." She replied, still refusing to make eye contact.

There was an awkward pause before he spoke again. "My name is Kai. What's yours?"

The girl blinked. "Selene."

Silence settled between the two of them, and Kai resigned himself to playing with his fingers. Beside him, his parents spoke to each other and hushed whispers, though about what he wasn't sure. Dinner was served in courses, and as each one came and went, the woman-Channary-continued to show kindness to his father, bringing up the topics of their businesses and reconciliation. His father did not return the kindness, however, as his response was very dismal compared to Channary's cheery tone. His mother, though more amicable, did not hide her discontent with the situation, giving tight-lipped smiles and angrily tapping her fingers against the chair. Meanwhile, the girl remained quiet, only speaking to the ebony-skinned girl next to her, whose named he learned was Winter.

Just before the serving of the final course, Kai requested to be excused. His parents gave him scolding glares, but Channary waved him off. "Yes, of course. Selene, perhaps you can go entertain Kai with some of your toys."

"Can Winter play too?" Selene asked.

Channary's carefree eyes took on a bit of a scathing look. For a moment it seemed like she would say no, but her daughter's face must have changed her mind as she sighed and murmured, "If she must."

Selene smiled before grabbing Winter's hand and running off, signaling Kai to follow. Scrambling to catch up, he nearly fell of his chair before nearly sprinting after her. She proceeded to lead him through a endless maze of pristine corridors, her whipping brown locks his sole guide. Kai was about to collapse from exhaustion when the two girls finally stopped in a room littered with toys.

"Play here." Selene told him affirmatively, before kneeling to the ground.

Scanning the room, Kai searched for anything of interest among the toy landfill. He noticed many dolls scattered across the floor, a few of them nude, in addition to a variety of clothes, purses, jewelry, and other accessories. There were also a couple of stuffed animals, beauty kits, and even a piano, although nothing looked particularly amusing. It seemed that he wouldn't have had a choice anyway, however, when Winter suddenly pulled him to the ground.

"Play dolls with us!" She shrieked.

Kai internally groaned, having played with enough daughters of his father's business partners to despise dolls. The stories that the girls acted out were boring and pointless, and more often than not he was forced to be the man who eventually kissed the girl.

"Can we play something other than dolls?" He asked politely.

Selene, who was currently dressing a blonde doll with short hair, looked up at him. "No. You play dolls." The conviction in her voice left no room for arguement, and he sighed but consented, accepting a doll with curly scarlet hair.

To his surprise, the experience was much more entertaining than he expected. Instead of the sappy princess stories that always ended with the girl being kissed by a prince, they acted out the romantic struggles of two poor servants who couldn't afford to marry. The story was incredibly realistic and had a lot of depth to it; a few of the characters even died, although it was much more comic than it was tragic. He wasn't even forced to be the man; Selene took up that role, and he portrayed the of the girl's rich best friend instead. As yet another character was stabbed by the greedy Queen, Kai found himself genuinely having fun.

With the couple happily married and the Queen buried alive, the children were beginning to organize a game of tag when a servant entered the room.

"My apologies for the interruption, but I have come to tell Mr. Commonwealth that his parents are ready to depart the residence." The servant said, his eyes on the floor.

"You're leaving?" The girls asked simultaneously, their smiles forgotten.

"Yes, I am." He responded sadly.

"Will you come back?" Winter asked.

"I'll ask my mother and father."

"You come back." Selene said. "We have fun."

"I did, too." He gave each of the girls a hug, although they clinged a little longer than necessary. Smiling, he waved goodbye as he followed the servant back into the main room. The girls waved back before returning to their toys.

His parents were anxiously waiting for him at the door when he arrived at the foot of the stairs. His mother scuttled over, nodding to the servant before pulling him towards the exit. "Come on, sweetie." She told him. "It's time to go."

He heard Channary calling to them on their way out. "Thanks for coming!" Her shrill voice carried over. "I'll be in touch!"

•••

A few weeks later, his parents received a letter in the mail from the Luna Estate. Although the majority of message was more concerned with his parents, the last paragraph caught his attention as his mother read it aloud.

"...Additionally, it seems as though my darling daughter Selene has taken a particular liking to your son, Kaito. Therefore, it would only be appropriate to schedule a playdate for the two of them so they can further their relationship. I have left my contact information at the bottom of this letter when you are ready. Warmest regards, Channary Blackburn." His mother pursed her lips, before turning to face Kai. "What do you think, Kai? Would you like to see Selene again?"

He didn't think twice before saying yes.

 **LOOKIE HERE EVERYONE I POSTED SOMETHING! I know it's been like a million years, and that I had announced a new story quite a while ago, but it took me so long to strike inspiration, and even then it took me two days to write this mess. Speaking of which, I apologize if this chapter was super awkward in terms of writing. I was honestly just trying to get this up so you'd have something to read. Anyway, I suppose we'll just see where this goes. Tell me your thoughts in the reviews section!**

 **~MastaGamerita**

 **P.S. Yes, I crossed fandoms with the title. Don't judge me.**


	2. Chapter 2: Kaider

From that week forward, Kai and Selene would see each other every Saturday. After his mother had a conversation with Ms. Blackburn (who insisted the he call her Channary), it was determined to be the most convenient day for them based on their schedules. Therefore, whenever Saturday came, Kai would find himself either impatiently bouncing in his seat on the way to the Lunar Estate, or glancing at the clock every few seconds waiting for a pristine white vehicle to show up in front of his father's mansion.

Through their playdates, Kai would learn more about Selene. For one, she didn't speak very much. At first, he thought it may have been attributed to her limited speech, but as he conversed with her, he realized that the girl simply didn't care much for small talk. That being said, when Selene _did_ have something to say, she would make sure that someone heard it, whether they liked it or not. It was an endearing trait to have, although her forceful attitude scared him sometimes.

Another thing he noticed that she was extremely intelligent, particularly in the field of engineering. Whenever they would play with building blocks, she knew exactly how to construct a tower so that it wouldn't topple over. In addition, she knew how to fix nearly all of her toys just by using parts that she'd scavenged from around the estate. When he asked her about it, she shrugged.

"Mechanic taught me." She said, showing only a slight struggle over the word.

Her knowledge wasn't limited to engineering, though. For a two-year-old, Selene had a impeccable vocabulary. Coupled with her nearly perfect pronounciation, she could easily hold a civilized conversation with any established entrepeneur (not that she would ever want to. Selene regularly expressed her discomfort with the extravagant guests that her mother entertained). Moreover, she was studying at nearly the same level he was, and could neatly recite a detailed history of her family lineage.

Probably the most surprising thing, though, was how different she was from the other girls he'd met. She wasn't completely obsessed with dolls, princesses, and dresses like some of his former playmates. Selene instead preferred to play kickball and tag, much to the dismay of her mother. She'd even once convinced him to imitate the bodyguards, something she told him that she and Winter did on a regular basis. He didn't see anything particularly fun about it, but Selene seemed fascinated by them. She told him that she admired the bodyguards for risking their lives for other people's safety, and how she wanted to do the same one day.

"I don't think your mother would like that." He told her.

"I'll find a way." She replied, and she sounded so sure of herself that he didn't question her.

And so, their playdates continued. Saturdays became his favorite day of the week, and as they passed by, Kai and Selene grew to be closer friends. His parents were surprised, but eventually grew used to their friendship. They'd play together for hours, the world seemingly nonexistent to them. She'd cheer him up when he felt sad, and he'd calm her down whenever she got too angry. For a while, everything was good.

But all good things must come to an end.

•••

That end came when Channary Blackburn was pronounced dead on September 23rd, just three months before Selene's third birthday.

A few days later, his mother pulled him aside, telling him that there was something they need to discuss. At first, Kai thought he'd done something wrong, but when she kneeled down so that she was at eye level with him, he knew it was more serious than that.

"Sweetie," She began. "Do you remember Selene's mother, Ms. Blackburn?

Kai squirmed. He remembered the woman very well. Whenever he visited the Lunar Estate, she'd pop out of nowhere, her cynical brown eyes fixated on him and Selene. She was always very friendly with him, constantly praising him and inquiring about his relationship with Selene. It was overbearing, to say the least, and her odd smile still gave him the chills.

"Yes." He responded. "Why?"

His mother's eyes quickly darted to the side, and he tensed up even more. "Well, I'm afraid that Ms. Blackburn is no longer with us."

He frowned. "What do you mean? She was never with us."

His mother sighed. "No, not like that. I mean she's gone, Kai. She's not _here,_ " She gestured around the room, "anymore."

Kai was quiet. He obviously had never particularly liked Ms. Blackburn, but...

Had she really deserved to _die?_

As if reading his mind, his mother put her hands on his shoulders. "It was just her time, sweetie." She murmured. "Now, listen. Next week we're going to attend a celebration for Ms. Blackburn. Selene's going to be there, and she's going to be very sad. I need you try to cheer her up, alright?"

His eyes widened. He hadn't even considered how Selene must've been feeling. He glanced at his mother. Kai absolutely loved her, so he could only imagine how hurt Selene was right now.

He turned back to his mother, who was waiting with an anxious expression on her face.

"Alright." He told her.

•••

A week later, Kai found himself dressed in all black, wedged between his parents as they walked up the stairs of the Lunar Estate. The usually dazzling walls of the manor now seemed blinding, and Kai kept his eyes on the ground below him. As the massive doors opened, he was greeted with the sight of many somber-looking people milling about in the common area. They were dressed in the same black attire as he was, and they spoke in hushed whispers to each other. In the center of the room sat the Blackburn family, all with there eyes downcast. Selene sat on the end, and Kai immediately wanted to comfort her. Luckily, his parents walked over to them as soon as they entered the building, so he didn't have to wait long. He bowed to each one of them, telling them how sorry he was for their loss. When he reached Selene, however, he took a more personal approach.

"Hello," He offered.

She looked up, and he noticed how sick she looked. She was paler than she usually was, and blue lines stuck out everywhere. Her eyes drooped, as if she were tired, and a few tears stained her cheeks. He wanted to give her a hug, but he held back as not to scare her. She nodded in acknowledgement.

"I'm sorry." He told her sincerely. "I can't think of how much pain you're in."

She nodded again, and he saw her curl in on herself even more.

"I hope you feel better soon." He said.

There were the faintest hints of a smile, before she returned to her seemingly plastered on frown.

He couldn't take it; he hugged her. As expected, she was surprised, but immediately wrapped her arms around him. She leaned into him, and he felt a tear hit his shirt. He simply hugged her tighter.

When he let her go, she was smiling. But it didn't reach her eyes.

Selene was never quite the same after that.

She essentially gave up on speaking entirely, only conveying her thoughts through either a shake or nod of the head. Kai found himself missing her affirmative nature, as head signals didn't exactly command respect the same way as a powerful voice did. Furthermore, she no longer put up much resistance when told to do something; she simply complied with her head hung low. Additionally, she didn't play much anymore. Neither him or Winter had much luck convincing her to join in on their games, and even when she did accept their invitation, she'd mostly just stare at the wall, oblivious to the world. The only hint of her former self was found with her tinkering, but he could tell her heart wasn't in it. He expressed his worry to his parents one day, but they simply told him to give her time.

"She'll get over it." His mother said.

But as the weeks passed by, and grew into months, he knew that Selene wouldn't get over it. He could tell just by the way she held herself. By the way she did simple tasks. By the way she looked. She was nothing but a shell of her former self, and it made Kai sad. Yet he knew that no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't cheer her up. Nobody could.

Looking back on it, he supposed it was a bit of a blessing that she died soon after her birthday.

 **I'M SO, SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING THIS IN SO LONG! I went on vacation, then did a whole bunch of family stuff, then had a summer camp that made for virtually no time to write. I promise I'll try not to go this long without updating again. Moreover, I'm sorry for how dark this ended up being. I think I ended up loosing the little kid aspect of this story. Whoops? Anyway, thank you all so much for the support you've given this story. It means a lot. Love y'all!**

 **~ MastaGamerita**

 **P.S. I might change my username soon. But if I do, I'll let you know.**


	3. Chapter 3: Kaider

**So this chapter is trash. Like, absolute trash. It doesn't help that it's unedited. But I was trying to write through this horrible writer's block, so it kind of makes sense. Anyway, just warning you in advance. The next one will be better, I promise.**

His tutor was in the middle of a history lesson when his mother burst through the door. She first looked at his tutor, then to the various maps and charts in the room, before her gaze settled on him. Although she was frantic, Kai noticed that her eyes had a sad look to them, and her smile seemed so unlike the one he usually saw. He frowned.

"Excuse me, Professor Ang, but I need to speak to Kai for a moment."

His teacher nodded before turning to a diagram on the board. His mother proceeded to grab his hand and pull him into the hallway. "Where are we going?" He asked her. But she didn't respond, only pulling him forward.

They stopped in front of his parents' room. His mother let go of his hand and pushed the door open, revealing his father scrolling through his phone on the edge of the bed. He looked up when they came in, and the child noticed that his eyes held the same sad look to them as his mother. Frowning, he turned to his parents.

"What happened?" He asked.

His parents shared a look, and Kai could feel his fear mount with every passing second. Finally, his father muttered "Sit down, Kai."

He complied.

"Sweetie," His mother began, and he felt himself begin to panic, "Winter's father, Mr. Hayle, called us this morning."

"Why?" He interrupted.

His mother paused, before continuing. "He had something to tell us."

He waited.

His mother looked at his father, and they appeared to be having some sort of silent conversation. After a while, his father cleared his throat and said "There was an accident, Kai."

"An accident?" He asked.

"Yesterday morning...Selene's nanny forget to blow out a candle. Both of them went to sleep, and, well, the candle set something on fire. Then the fire spread, and by the time people began to notice, the entire nursery was on fire."

"Are they okay?" He asked worriedly.

His mother made a strangled noise, and his father pulled her in closer. They were quiet for a long time, before his father took a deep breath, and said "I'm sorry, Kai. But Selene and her nanny passed away in that fire."

He was silent. Deathly silent.

 _Passed away._

 _Dead._

Selene was dead.

He didn't even notice that he was crying until his mother pulled him into her arms. He let himself go, sobbing loudly into her shirt because it wasn't right, she was just a kid, she was so nice and smart and she didn't deserve this and _it wasn't right._

"Why?" He asked, sniffling.

His mother didn't answer.

•••

On the surface, Selene's funeral was an exact replica of her mother's. The decor was identical, with white lilies tied with black ribbons incorporated throughout the estate. Additionally, he saw all of the same guests that he saw at Ms. Blackburn's funeral. However, the atmosphere was heavier, and carried a more somber mood to it. There was no talking, like at Ms. Blackburn's funeral. Instead, there was a silence. An eerie silence. Yet Kai was too focused trying not to cry to be bothered by it.

The Blackburns were, as usual, sitting in the middle of the room. Selene's aunt, Levana, was looking ahead with an emotionless expression. She paid him no attention when he offered his condolences, only shooed him along to Mr. Hayle, who, instead of shaking his hand, patted him on the back and gave him a hug. "It'll be alright." He told him.

Thanking him, he moved on to Winter, who'd been staring at the floor. He tried to start up a conversation, however she refused to respond, so he decided to simply offer his condolences and move on. Just before he could, though, she suddenly grabbed his arm. Turning around, he was met with her reddened eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

"D-Do you miss her?" She asked, sniffling.

"Yes," He said, willing himself not to start bawling.

She was quiet for a minute, before saying "Me too."

The rest of the funeral passed by in a blur. Words muddled together, colors blended, and the only thing he could remember was _don't cry, don't cry, don't cry._

He found out later on that he did.

•••

Following Selene's death, Kai retreated into his own shell. While he still made polite conversation with his peers, he didn't like sharing many personal details, instead excusing himself to read or play with some of his toys. Furthermore, he no longer tried to become friends with anyone. That being said, his parents continuously tried to put him out there, even going so far as to buy a second property in a wealthy neighborhood and putting him in a private school to expose him to more people his age. Yet nothing could replace Selene. He still excelled in his studies, however, always remaining at the top of his grade.

Then his mother contracted cancer, and he soon found himself once again dressed in all black, mourning the most important woman in his world. After that, he stopped caring about anything. In his mind, what was the point of him doing anything if his mom wasn't there to see it? So he went about his life in a mindless daze, never once saying or doing anything

He lived like that for nearly five months, until he woke up the day of his tenth birthday and realized that his mom wouldn't have wanted him to live like this. She wouldn't have wanted him to give up on his life just because hers ended. In fact, she would've wanted him to continue her life for her, for him to do everything she couldn't. And with that in mind, he resolved to leave live his life to the fullest.

So he moved on. He worked hard in school, restoring his grades to their former glory. He began talking more, surprising himself and his father by hanging out with many of his fellow classmates and playing with them at recess. Soon Kai found himself surrounded by friends, and by middle school he was one of the most popular kids in his neighborhood.

And through his new friends, Kai found himself getting over Selene. She'd always be his best friend, and of course he would never forget her, but she no longer weighed him down. Now, she was only another reason for him to keep moving.

That did not prepare him to see her in a park one day, though.


End file.
